After weeks of inconsistency, Texas is riding a three-game winning streak and has slowly but surely pieced together impressive resume wins, putting itself back into College Football Playoff contention.
LSU, meanwhile, has largely had an up-and-down season, trying to rally after a bad home loss against Alabama, which has put them on the CFP outs at the moment.
Against Missouri, the Longhorns showed what Texas can be, sustaining an offensive rhythm through all four quarters. Despite this, questions still surround the Longhorns, as they are considered the underdogs against the Tigers.
Based on the latest CFP rankings, Texas hasn’t secured a convincing, deafening win against a conference opponent that leaves the committee with no doubts. UCLA jumped Texas by two spots, showing that its two losses have not been forgotten. While the Longhorns have some breathing room, their place in the playoff picture is not secure.
Although Texas has secured two wins in two true road environments, both left little breathing room. Even though the Longhorns have the momentum advantage and a comparable roster to the Tigers, LSU could be one of the most dangerous teams they have faced — especially for the offense.
That isn’t just because Death Valley is notoriously one of the most intimidating environments in college football, but because the Tigers are playing with their backs against the wall after getting dominated by the Crimson Tide. With three losses, their season is hanging on for dear life.
Texas was in a similar position just three weeks ago, and the team responded well.
Securing a win against the Tigers could shift the narrative. Texas could go from a team that shows flashes of championship potential to one that has proven to be a legitimate national title contender.
“I think we ought to continue to be situationally aware,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “And then ultimately having poise and composure on the road, and doing it with a real sense of confidence, because that’s going to be needed Saturday night.”
The offensive performance against Missouri was encouraging, but sustaining that progress requires some fine-tuning. In road games, Texas’ biggest weaknesses have been penalties, turnovers and mental errors. Against Missouri, the Longhorns had two fumbles and committed seven penalties for 65 yards, with a total of 18 for 180 yards across their true road games.
Texas has been able to recover from those mistakes without letting them become too detrimental, but it’s a dangerous game this late in the season.
Sarkisian said LSU arguably has the most talented defense the Longhorns have faced, and Texas can’t afford self-inflicted wounds that make sustaining drives unnecessarily harder.
The Longhorns also can’t afford to put senior quarterback Arch Manning in third-and-long situations against a defense that has elite pass rushers and what fifth-year tight end Michael Masunas called an “NFL (defensive) front.”
A road win this weekend comparable to Texas’ victory against Alabama in 2023 could cement the Longhorns as a championship-caliber team in the eyes of the committee. How the Longhorns get it done matters less than how dominant it is, proving that the Missouri performance was not an isolated breakthrough.
